Vehicle-tongue support.



No. 746,367. I PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903. B. H. OLDFIELD.

VEHICLE TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 22, 1903.

K0 MODEL.

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BENJAMIN HARRISON OLDFIELD, OF LEAVEN WORTH, KANSAS.

VEHICLE-TONGUE SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,367, dated December8, 1903. Application filed April 22, 1903- Serial No. 153,842. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it know-n that I, BENJAMIN HARRISON OLDFIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at South Broadway, Leavenworth, in the county ofLeavenworth and State of Kansas, haveinvente'd a new and usefulImprovement in Vehicle-Tongue Supports, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to wagon-tongue supports, and has forits objects toproduce a device of this character which will be simple of construction,efficientin operation, and one which may be readily adjusted forsupporting the tongue at various elevations.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel details of constructionand combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanyingdrawings,Fignre 1 isa side elevation of the forwardportion of a vehicle running-gear having my improved device appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the front axle; 2, the bolstermounted above the same; 3, the hounds secured between the axle andbolster and projecting forwardly of the same a suitable distance, and 4the tongue or pole pivoted at its rear end to the forward ends of thehounds by means of a transverse rod or bolt 5. These parts may all be ofthe usual or any suitable or desired construction and material, inasmuchas they constitute no part of my invention.

In accordance with my invention I bolt or otherwise secure to the lowerface of the tongue a plate 6, provided with vertically upwardlyextending side flanges 7, which engage the tongue at opposite sidesthereof, and with depending perforated ears 8, between which is pivotedupon a bolt 9 the forward end of a leaf-spring 10, which is downwardlycurved or arched from end to end, as shown. This spring, which extendsrearwardly parallel with the tongue,bears at its rear end loosely uponthe under face of the axlel and has secured to its lower face adjacentto its lougitudinal center an auxiliary spring or member 11, bent at itsfront end to form an eye 12. The auxiliary spring is provided with acentral longitudinal slot 13, through which a bolt'14 engages forattaching the member 11 to the main spring to permit of the readyadjustment of the former longitudinally of the latter for the purposewhich will hereinafter appear. The auxiliary spring 11 is provided atits front end with upwardly-extending tingers 15, which engage atopposite sides of the main spring 10 to prevent lateral displacement ofthe auxiliary spring relative thereto.

For applying suitable tension to the spring 10 to cause the same toproperly support the tongue I employ a tension member 16, whichcomprises a main body portion 17 and adjustable engaging members 18. Thebody portion 17 of the tension member is in the form of a U-shapedmember having parallel spaced sides 19, provided at their upper endswith hooks 20 and connected at their lower ends by a crown portion 21,which is seated in the eye 12 of the auxiliary spring, the sides of themember between the crown portion and hooks being toothed, as at 22. Thismember or body portion normally occupies asubstautially verticalposition and has slidingly mounted upon each of its sides 19 one of theadjustable engagingmembers 18. Each of these members is provided at itsupper end with a hook 23 and on its inner edge adjacent to the arm 19with teeth 24, which normally engage the adjacent teeth of the arm, andthence curves downwardly and forwardly and is slotted for the receptionof the arm 19 of the body portion, the forward inner face of the slotbeing toothed, as at 25, for engagement with the teeth on the adjacentedge of the arm 19. The respectiveteeth of the adjustable member 18 areheld normally in engagement with the teeth of the arm 19 by means of asuitable spring 26, preferably in the form of a leaf-spring, which issecured at its upper end -to the inner face of the member and extendsdownward through the slot therein and bears at its lower end upon theedge of the arm 19.

In practice the hooks 23 of the respective engaging members 18 areengaged with the rod or bolt 5'at opposite sides of the tongue and serveto draw the crown portion 21 of the main body of the member upwardagainst the mainspring 10, thus placing the same under tension andcausing it to lift the tongue and yieldably sustain the same,.and inthis connection it is to be noted that the members 18 may be readilyadjusted in a vertical plane to vary the pressure upon the mainspring10, thus varying the elevation of the tongue. When it is desired tolower the tongue, the members 18 are disengaged from the rod 5 and thehooks 20 of the arms 19 are engaged therewith; or if in practice it isdesired to support the tongue in a substantially vertical position themember may be entirely disengaged from the rod 5 and the tongue turnedupward and maintained in such position by engaging the free end of thespring 10 with the ground. By adjusting the auxiliary spring 11longitudinally of the mainspring a more direct pull of the tensionmember 16 upon the spring can be maintained.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce adevice which issimple of construction, one which may be readily and inexpensivelyapplied, and one which in practice will efficiently perform itsfunctions, and in attaining these ends it is to be understood that I donot limit or confine myself to the details herein shown and described,inasmuch as minor changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device ofthe class described, the combination with a vehicle running-gear, of atongue pivotally associated therewith, a bowed spring attached at oneend to the tongue, and a tension member for the spring, said membercomprising the main body portion provided with teeth and with means forengaging the spring, and an adjustable member slidable on the bodyportion and provided with teeth for engaging the teeth of the bodyportion and with means for engaging the tongue.

2. In a device of the class-described, the combination with a vehiclerunning-gear, a tongue pivotally associated therewith,a bowed springattached at one end to the tongue and a tension member for the spring,said member comprising a main body portion provided with teeth and withmeans for engaging the spring, an adjustable member slidable on the bodyportion and provided with teeth for engaging the teeth of the bodyportion and with means for engaging the tongue, and a spring acting uponthe said members to maintain their teeth normally in interengagement.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehiclerunning-gear, of a tongue pivotally associated therewith, a bowed springattached at one end to the tongue, and a tension member for the spring,said member comprising a U-shaped body portion having spaced toothedsides or arms lying at opposite sides of the tongue and a crown portionengaged beneath the spring, a member slidable upon each arm of the bodyportion and provided with teeth for engaging the teeth of the arm andwith means for engaging the vehicle-tongue, and a spring for maintainingthe teeth of the member in engagement with those of the arm.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehiclerunning-gear, of a tongue pivotally associated therewith, a bowed springattached at one end to the tongue, an auxiliary spring or memberadjustably attached to the main spring and provided with an eye, aU-shaped member having its crown portion engaged in the eye of theauxiliary spring and its arms extended upward at opposite sides of thetongue and provided with teeth, an adjustable member slidably mountedupon each arm of the U-shaped member and provided with means forengaging the tongue and with teeth for engaging the teeth of the arm,and a spring acting upon the members to maintain their teeth normally ininterengagement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN HARRISON OLDFIELD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J. BROWN, ERNEST HUNNIUS.

